THEATRE SEASON

REGIONAL PREMIEREOctober 11 – 28, 2018

Inspired by untold events in the life of music legend Nina Simone, The Champion is set in 1962 North Carolina where she and her band are holed up from a snowstorm in a greasy spoon. As tempers flare and secrets surface, it seems the waitress at this small-town diner will soon be the only witness of a historic meltdown. Suddenly, the door swings open, and the famous outsiders discover they’re truly in unfriendly territory. A sharply drawn, exciting play that intimately portrays a cultural icon in the turbulent era during which she rose to fame. Directed by Rebecca McDonald.

December 6 – 23, 2018

This holiday Gospel celebration has so captured the hearts of our audience that it returns for its 15th Anniversary as part of our season. Spoken word, song, music, dance, and theatre combine to create this one of a kind Christmas pageant that has become one of the holiday traditions our community revels in. Hughes’ retelling of the Nativity Story encourages audiences to find joy and asks us all to look inward and find the wonder in life itself. Directed by Selmore Haines.

February 7 – 24, 2019

Tradition, superstition, & love collide in this story of American executive, Jeffery, and his pregnant wife, who find themselves in Mexico City moving into the home of Carlos and Irma who have been forced to rent it in order to support themselves. Jeffrey loves his wife and is willing to do anything to make her happy. Irma loves her husband so she ignores the warnings of La Llorona, who cautions of dire consequences for her family. La Llorona navigates this haunting love story with humor and suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat! Directed by Adam Adolfo.

Women’s Theatre FestivalMarch 21, 2019 – April 7, 2019

Back for a fourth year, BATC’s Down for #TheCount is a one-act play festival featuring six dynamic female playwrights who come from diverse social and ethnic backgrounds articulating the strong female voice in this #MeToo movement! This staged event breathes life into their compelling, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories. True to BATC’s mission, Down for #The Count is a vital platform for the perpetuation of innovative theatrical productions where a variety of female voices may be heard. Directed by Camika Spencer. Down for #TheCount is suitable for audiences ages 18 and above.

REGIONAL PREMIEREMay 17 – 19, 2019

What happens when a Dominican boy in Queens—with an imagination far beyond his shell, who won’t go anywhere without his nerf gun and is obsessed with James Bond—finds out that the real James Bond was Dominican? This is a true story about Porfirio Rubirosa, Ian Fleming’s inspiration for Bond— and how this discovery set off a whole tragi-comic journey for a young, Dominican actor-to-be. The Real James Bond Was Dominican is a young man’s guide to love, sex, color, code-switching, white-washing, success, fake-it-till-you-make-it, and the roller coaster of finding one’s true self. Directed by Daniel Banks.

SPEAKER SERIES

HECTOR CANTU
An Afternoon withBaldo & Friends

January 26, 2019

Hector Cantú, co-creator of the Baldo newspaper comic strip, published by nearly 200 newspapers across the United States, leads a panel of creators to discuss characters that connect with today’s audiences. Hector Cantú was a guest earlier this year on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” to talk about the character Cruz coming out as a “Dreamer,” and is among the 21 Latino comic authors & artists featured in the book Your Brain on Latino Comics.

ORAL FIXATION

Behind Closed Doors:Stories, Taboos, and Life Uncensored

June 28 – 30, 2019

Sanderia Faye:
Incarceration, Execution,
and the Human Face of the
Criminal Justice System

August 3, 2019
3:00 pm

Sanderia Faye, the author of Mourner’s Bench, joins us for a very special speaker series event on her upcoming book, ELEVEN and how it depicts the lives of people who work in the criminal justice system. She will be joined by featured guest panelists who can speak directly to their experience of working in the corrections system. Sanderia will also read excerpts from her upcoming book that traces one families struggles with the announcement of 8 executions to happen in the 11 days following Easter. Faculty at Southern Methodist University and a professional speaker & activist, her novel, Mourner’s Bench, is the winner of the Hurston / Wright Legacy Award and The Philosophical Society of Texas Award of Merit for fiction

SPECIAL EVENTS

In collaboration with Teatro Flor CandelaNovember 1 – 2, 2018

Part ritual, part theatre, RITUALÉ is a celebration of the Mexican holiday, “Día de Muertos.” Linking our ancestors while celebrating world cultures with sacred words, tribute dances, & ceremonial songs, join us on this fiesta to help remember and support our passed loved ones on their spiritual journey. Join us for this one of a kind artistic endeavor that only develops and grows with the audience. Perfect for the for the whole family, this bilingual production is directed by Patricia Urbina.

Dance the night away to the jazz sounds of Peter White and Euge Groove as we celebrate our 25-year anniversary. These two jazz favorites are guaranteed to have you on your feet from the moment they hit the stage. A VIP Reception and Silent Auction will start the evening in the lobby of the beautiful Moody Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District. Bid on unique jazz memorabilia, exotic vacations, one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork, and more. Join us for a night of fun and have the satisfaction of being a part of the BATC legacy.